DEVOTEES and well-wishers from around the world joined His Holiness (HH) Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj and senior saints at the inauguration of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville, New Jersey, on Sunday (August 10).
Among prominent guests attending the opening ceremony were Senator from New Jersey, Cory Booker and US Representatives Steny Hoyer (Maryland); Mike Fitzpatrick (Pennsylvania); Frank Pallone (New Jersey), Attorney General of the State of New Jersey, John Jay Hoffman and Indian Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay (New York).
Addressing the gathering, Hoyer said, 'This mandir will surely not only be a place of worship, but a place of service. The saying, ‘in the joy of others, lies our own’ is translated here from words into action.'
In his comments, Senator Booker said: 'Today is truly a day of celebration. Today is a day that is not just good for this community or the state of New Jersey but indeed what you are doing is great for all of America. I am so impressed. Indeed, I give reverence to an extraordinary structure (the Mandir) which will stand in all of North America as one of the greatest places of faith we have but I am more impressed with the people of this community.'
Spanning two weekends, the inauguration festivities included prayers for world peace, cultural programs for women and children, and most important, murti pratishta rituals or ceremonies to invoke the spirit of the deity’s into the sacred images.
On the eve of the consecration ritual on Sunday, the statues of deities were taken around the temple complex in a procession, watched by young and old devotees.
The temple was officially inaugurated in a Vedic ceremony performed by BAPS swamis in the presence of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj. It is the sixth traditional BAPS Mandir of its kind in North America.
Made from Italian marble, the $18 million temple has been built in accordance with guidelines from ancient Hindu scriptures and took three years to complete. Craftsmen in India first carved each portion of Italian marble and upon completion, they were brought to Robbinsville to be pieced together.
It has 98 pillars and two domes (ghummats) and the temple has been covered by a permanent structure to accommodate worshippers in winter.
A BAPS volunteer, Dipal Patel, said: 'Thousands of volunteers have dedicated themselves and sacrificed immensely to help create this lasting legacy. It is through the selfless service of hundreds of professional volunteers – engineers, architects, and project managers – that this mandir has come up so swiftly and at a relatively low cost.'
